Suction cleaner



E. R. SWANN SUCTION CLEANER Jan. 5, 1954 Filed Sept. 1, 1951 IIHIIIIITI 5 mm wk @N 3 Jan. 5, 1954 sw 2,664,965

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Sept. 1, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 25 33 56 a? so 34 43 40 2s v 42 I] I I0 j 1 INVENTOR.

EDWARD R. SWANN ATT'Y Patented Jan. 5, 1954 SUCTION CLEANER.

Edward-1t. Swann, North Canton, hio,. assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application September 1, 1951, SerialNo. 244,801

la ms This invention relates; to suction cleaners and more particularly to newand improved dirt filtering facilities therefor; More specifically, one of; the dominant features of the invention is a simple and highly emcient structure for releasably mounting the filter proper in a tanktype suction cleaner.

The modern trend is to, employ paper filter bags which are so inexpensive that. they may be disposed of as soon as they become filled with dirt thereby eliminating the odious chore ofemptying and re-assembling a dirty filter in the cleaner. This. objective has not been satisfactorily achieved heretofore for the want oi an economical b g and an easily operated, functionally ac.- ceptable mounting means for the bag.

he sp ficatio s and requirements are fully realized by the present invention by which an open topped, cylindrical paper filter is securely clampedinplace in the cleaner merely. by closing the hinged end cap, and is released by the simple expedient of opening the end cap.

Accordingly, it is aprincipal object of. the invention to provide a novel andsimplified suction cleaner having improved means for'detachably clamping. the filter means in place.

Another object isv to provide a unique filter clamping means forasuction cleaner.

Yet another object is the provision of. a tank cleaner; with afilter clamping arrangement .which isequally effective with a cloth filter bag as well aswith apaper filter nestedwithin a cloth filter.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention-will become apparent fromthefollowing; detai ed specificationof an illustrative embodiment of. the invention taken in connection with, the accompanying. drawings, in which;

E sulte on tud nal sectional v ew of. a cleaner. ncorp a g thet and- Eigurez is a similar View of the cleanersupported on; its dischargeend; and with the filter end ap. sw n -I0 p position.-

hcv nvention. may be e p y dv n. an a cleane hav n an. ou er lindri al. ca ing; I0 supnortediup n ap ir; of; runners.- A m t r.- fan unit. l2 has itsiorward endsupportedby a; nart tionwall l3: and-a u er bushine The rear endmaybe imi ar y upportedin ac ord: ance. with establish d practice. in the: art-.- The motor-fan unit compri es. amu tiple t etfan of any. suitable design driven by an electric motor I 6'.- Since. the details of the motor and fan construction are; of no particular importance tothe invention, they need not be further described. It sufiices to. say that the fan hasacentrally disposed=inlet ll in its. forward end which is. pro-. tectedagainst the. entrance of .foreign matter by a screen The rearendof the-cleanercasing. is closed. by. an endcap llfi having an exhaust :air opening .for the clean airv discharged by: the-fan and passing through: themotorto cool thesam'e. The cleaner casing is: also provided" withv a carrying handle 2 I along its upper side and asnapzacs tion switch 22 for controlling the operation of the motor.

The filter assembly'and clamping arrangement is located at the forward or inlet end of the cleaner. A flanged ring 25' is rigidly secured to the open end of the casing and provides asupport for the cloth filter-supporting ring-16 The rim of the skirt of this ringis channeled to provide mounting means for-securing ring 21" of a, cloth filter bag 28. The innerend of 'this bag=has a circular bottom which normally rests against.

guard wires 29- spaced' forwardly of screen- I85. These guard wires therefore prevent th filter from being drawn into the fan inlet and provide a free flow area for-the air-passing to the fan; A flat rim 30 of thev bag: mounting" ring provides'a supporting flangefor-the-ring-as well'asa-mounting means for a rubber or *resilientsealin'g gasket 3| fixedly secured tomountingringzfi. Thgwall of this gasket is preferablyhollowasshown for greater resilience and; in orderto provide. for'a wider range of, tolerances;in.the-adjacent-coop erating. parts of theclamp. However, this gasket may comprise a"resilient'member'whichisnot hollow and. which is of substantially uniform thickness throughout, if'isodesired'z,

The end cap for. the inlet endoftheca'sing is generally indicated; at}; This. cap isash'own as formed of outer and inner: sheet, metal, members 33 and 34 one of which has a downturnedrimifor permanent assembly to inner, member, 3fi',' as by rivets 3.5. A tubular. coupling member 3.6; is mounted between/the two members-and detach? ably receivesthe inletendof the. usual flexible hose. An opening 3.7.ontheunderside ottheend cap provides a. convenientv handle. stint-for n porting the cleaner. from, place to, place .in lieu. of handle 2|.

The end cap is pivotally securedtothacleaner casing as by hinge 38 here shown as located on the underside of the=-casing between runners H. The end cap is .heldin.closedposition by, a toggle clamp 3.9..of anyv suitable design .and'may. be. per? manently attached. to. the, mainebody of. the cleaner casing. by rivets. 402., clamp. is mounted on the upper sideaof casing and. has a latch member. hookingpver. the upper: rim of the end cap to pull it tightly-idowmagainstuthe end of. the. casing; Whemreleased thesclamp allowstheendcaptoswing to open position. It will be observed that theginnerwallfllofthe end cap is provided withzan annular. surface pp+ sitioned to contact the rim-ofisealing gasket 3.! and to, press it into :air tight engagement: with; thesupporting wfiangfilmemhersfia The combined; pilot :and .cmmmnmmembm for the: paper; filter; baa. now; be. described.

However, before describing this pilot in detail let it be noted that the paper filter comprises a cylindrical paper bag 42 of a diameter readily receivable through sealing gasket 3|. The bottom is preferably formed by appropriately folding and sealing the inner end in the manner commonly employed in the manufacture of grocery bags. The length of the bag is slightly greater than the length of the cloth bag plus the height of mounting ring 26 in order that the paper bag may be seated on the bottom of the cloth bag and project slightly above the top of gasket 3|.

The pilot member is generally indicated at 43 and comprises a most important feature of the invention. As shown, this member is formed of plastic material and has the general configuration shown in Figure 1. This may be described as a truncated circular base section from a right cone generated about an elliptical base. posite the hinged side of the end cap, the side wall of the pilot is substantially straight and parallel to the side wall of the cleaner casing.

top side of the cleaner its diameter gradually decreases from a maximum diameter at the point of attachment to the end cap to a much smaller diameter at its innermost end. This shape is extremely useful in facilitating the entry of the pilot into the open end of the filter and in progressively expanding the paper filter outwardly into firm seating contact with gasket 3| as the end cap is swung towards its closed position, The straight walled, lower side of the pilot enters the filter first and begins expanding the mouth of the bag outwardly and upwardly towards the sides thereof remote from hinge 38 as the end cap closes. Furthermore, the side of the pilot adjacent the hinge will press the bag into firm clamping engagement with the gasket long before the end cap is seated and will provide an anchor for this side of the bag as a further aid in holding the bag in place until it is firmly clamped by the pilot. The flaring tubular portion 46 of the pilot has its smaller end registering with the air inlet coupling 36 and permits the air to expand as it enters the filter bag. Pilot member 43 may have its peripheral rim secured to the end cap in any suitable manner as by rivets, screws or the like.

The resilient sealing gasket 3| is preferably hollow as shown in the drawing to provide greater resiliency and more particularly to provide for a wider range of manufacturing tolerances in the other structural elements associated therewith without, however, decreasing its efiecr Operation The operation of the invention is thought quite self-evident from the foregoing description. Let it be assumed that the cleaner is assembled as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The usual flexible hose and dusting tools are connected into coupling 36 and the cleaner is placed in operation by closing the switch 22.

When it becomes desirable to replace the filter, the cleaner is upended onto rear end cap l9 and th toggle clamp 39 is released to allow the end cap 32 to swing to open position as shown in Figure 2. Opening of the end cap completely releases the paper filter bag which can be withdrawn upwardly through the end of the casing. The dirty bag is taken to a place of disposal and discarded. A new filter is then opened and inserted downwardly into the cloth bag. In so doing, the operator expands the top so that the walls lie closely adjacent sealing gasket 3|. The end cap is swung to closed position causing pilot 43 to enter the paper filter gradually and to expand the walls thereof outwardly into tight engagement with ring 3|. The operator then closes the toggle clamp forcing fiat surface 4| of the end cap tightly against the outer portion of the sealing gasket to seal ring 26 against flange 25. This completes the restoration of the cleaner to operation with a fresh paper filter.

If for any reason the user does not have a new paper filter at hand, the cleaner can be used with the cloth filter without performing any additional or diiferent operation. All that is necessary is to close the end cap and clamp it. Both the upper, outer wall of the pilot and fiat surface 4| of the end cap will engage the sealing gasket to clamp and seal it in place. The cleaner is then operated as before and the dirt collects in the cloth filter. When it becomes necessary to remove this dirt, the operator opens the end cap and withdraws mounting ring 26 carrying the cloth filter therewith. After the bag has been emptied, it is re placed and the end cap is closed.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that this embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a suction cleaner comprising a casing for a filter chamber and a motor driven suction unit, said filter chamber having a large area opening through which a filter bag can be inserted and withdrawn, a resilient gasket supported in the rim of said opening and including a portion projecting downwardly into said filter chamber against which the mouth of a flexible Walled filter can be clamped, a closure for said opening having a hinge connection with said casing, means within said filter chamber for supporting a paper filter bag having a non-reinforced mouth of substantially the same peripheral extent as the imier wall of said gasket and so that the outer wall of said mouth is positioned opposite the inner wall of said gasket, a frusto-conical pilot secured to the inner side of said cover having a base portion of substantially the same contour and size as the inner wall of said gasket for clamping the mouth of said paper filter in air-tight engagement with said gasket when said closure is closed, the innermost portion of said pilot being of substantially smaller size than said base and being joined thereto by flaring walls so as to telescope readily into the mouth of the filter and to expand and clamp said mouth progressively to the inner wall of the gasket as the closure is swung to closed position, means for releasably clamping said closure in closed position, and means for conducting a dirty air stream into the filter bag through said closure and pilot.

2. In a suction cleaner of the type having a main casing housing a power driven suction unit and a filter chamber accessible through a large area opening in a wall of said casing, that improvement which comprises a resilient gasket supported at the rim of said opening, a closure for said opening havin one edge hingedly connected to said casing, means for supporting a. paper filter bag having a large area inlet in said filter chamber so that the rim of said inlet is located opposite said resilient gasket, combined filter clamping and pilot means mounted on the inner wall of said closure in position to telescope into said filter inlet as the closure is swung to closed position, said pilot means comprising a truncated conical section having its base mounted on said closure and its smaller end spaced therefrom, the base of said pilot having substantially the same contour and size as the inner periphery of said gasket, the smaller end of said pilot being adapted to enter said filter inlet and progressively expand the walls thereof outwardly against the inner wall of said gasket as said closure is swung to closed position, and the wall of said pilot adjacent said hinged connection being adapted to clamp the portion of the filter adjacent said hinge to the gasket before a major portion of the pilot has entered the filter as an aid to holding the filter in place while the pilot is being guided thereinto.

3. In a tank type suction cleaner of the type having a main casing housing a power driven suction unit and a filter chamber accessible through a large area opening in the wall of the casing, that improvement which comprises providing an annular filter seating means adjacent the rim of said large area opening against which the outer rim of a filter bag inlet can be pressed, a cover for said opening having one edge hinged to said casing for pivotal movement toward and away from said opening, a combined filter pilot and filter clamping means carried on the inner face of said cover, said pilot and clamping means projecting into said filter chamber for a substantial distance in excess of that required to provide an air-tight seal with the rim of the filter bag, said pilot having a base portion adjacent the inner wall of the cover of substantially the same contour and size as the inlet mouth of a filter bag and being so arranged on said cover as to telescope into the bag as said cover is swung to closed position across the opening in said filter chamber, said pilot having an inner end portion of smaller cross section than said base portion and being oifset laterally from the axis of said large area opening toward the hinged side thereof so that the portion thereof nearest the hinge first enters the filter mouth as the cover is swung toward closed position and progressively expands the filter inlet and guides the same about the exterior of said pilot as the cover approaches its closed position.

4. In a suction cleaner of the type having a main casing for enclosing a power driven suction unit and a filter chamber accessible through a large area opening in the wall of the casing, that improvement which comprises a flanged tubular filter seating means about the rim of said large area opening against which the rim of an open mouthed paper filter bag can be pressed, a closure for said opening hingedly supported on said casing at one side of said opening, pilot means carried by the inner wall of said closure having a relatively small area inner end flaring to a relatively large area cylindrical base end secured to the inner side of said closure, said cylindrical base end having substantially the same contour and size as said tubular seating means and being arranged to telescope thereinto and into the mouth of a filter bag positioned therein as said closure is swung to closed position to clamp the rim of the filter between the base end of said pilot means and said tubular filter seating means, and means forming an air passageway through said closure and through said filter pilot.

5. In combination, a suction cleaner having a casing provided with a large area opening communicating with a filter chamber therewithin, a power driven suction unit in said casing, said large area opening having a resilient tubular filter seating means adjacent the interior rim thereof, a tubular paper filter bag having a closed end adapted to be inserted into said filter chamber through said opening and to have the outer rim of its open inlet end pressed outwardly into firm seating engagement with the inner side wall of said resilient tubular filter seating means, a closure for said opening and for the open end of said filter, hinge means connecting one edge of said closure to said casing for swinging movement toward and away from said casing opening, tubular filter clamping means projecting inwardly from the inner side of said cover having substantially the same contour and size as said tubular filter seating means and positioned to telescope thereinto and into the open end of said filter bag as said closure is swung to closed position, said clamping means cooperating with said resilient seating means to grip the rim of the filter bag therebetween in an air-tight manner, pilot means having frusto-conical walls flaring into the inner edge of filter clamping means for progressively opening the mouth of the filter bag and guiding the same onto the clamping means as the closure is swung to closed position, and means for conducting an air stream into said filter through said closure and pilot means.

6. In combination, a tank type suction cleaner having a casing enclosing a power driven suction unit and a filter chamber, said casing having a large area opening to receive a filter bag and to seat the inlet rim thereof on the rim of said opening, a closed bottom, open topped filter bag for said filter chamber having a fiared rim at its top arranged to seat against the rim of said opening and having a narrow resilient tubular band on the inner side wall of the bag adjacent the open top end thereof, a closure for said opening hingedly connected to said casing for swinging movement toward and away from said opening, a narrow tubular wall projecting inwardly from the inner side of said closure having substantially the same contour and size as the inner wall of said resilient tubular band on said filter, a paper filter bag adapted to be supported within said first mentioned filter and having a wide area inlet end of substantially the same size as said first mentioned filter, flaring pilot means supported by said closure having a small inner end adapted to enter the mouth of said paper filter and to expand and seat the same against said resilient tubular band as it guides the mouth onto said narrow tubular wall on the closure as the latter is swung to closed position, said closure having means for engaging the flared rim of the first mentioned filter and holding the same seated against the wall of said cleaner casing whereby both of said filters are held in place in said casing by said closure.

EDWARD R. SWANN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,056,865 Webster Mar. 25, 1913 1,182,404 Nogeuchi May 9, 1916 2,316,674 Dow et al. Apr. 13, 1943 2,388,280 Nufier et a1. Nov. 6, 1945 

